Monday, July 25, 2011

SONA

The State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno Aquino III was shallow and lacked substance, militant group Bayan today said."Narinig natin ang State of Wang-wang niya at iyon nga mababaw," Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr. told philstar.com after the President delivered his second SONA at the Batasan Pambansa Complex in Quezon City this afternoon.Reyes said President Aquino avoided touching on vital issues of the labor sector and land reform."Iniwasan nya ang mahalagang usapin sa lupa at sa manggagawa," he said, noting that it is already tiresome to listen to Aquino's speech on "wang-wang" or siren.In his SONA, President Aquino used the word "wang wang" in highlighting his administration's fight against corruption in government.Reyes said the Chief Executive has failed to fully address the issue of human rights in his SONA.

"At sa bahagi ng human rights, nabanggit lang nya in passing at sinabi nya na bahala na ang DOJ (Department of Justice)," he said."Kapag ganito, hindi na magdadala sa tinatawag nyang tuwid na daan," Reyes added.This afternoon, more than 10,000 people joined the anti-Aquino protest-rallies along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.For its part, Pamalakaya, an organization of fishermen, claimed that the facts and figures contained in the President's SONA were "hard spinned and extremely doctored.""Mr. Aquino's SONA is a running story of illusion and imagination. His speech treats us as a nation of imaginary people with imaginary situation and imaginary needs," the group said.